Freshwater Turtles of Pakistan

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Figure: 1 Survey Sites, Freshwater Turtle Survey, 2007 Page 12 of 23 Freshwater Turtle Survey, 2007
The Chinese living around Chashma also buy turtles for Rs.200 to 500 per turtle. Freshwater turtles make a part of their diet. 6.2.2.2 Pakhiwal community A Pakhiwal community visited at Head Taunsa is involved in this business for the last three years. They capture turtles throughout the year. The average turtle capture is 3-5 turtles per day. The people of the area, other than Pakhiwal, are also attracted to this business as it is profitable and has international importance. One piece of plastron is sold at Rs.250-400 depending upon the size. Dealers from Vehari, Lahore, Peshawar, and Karachi visit these communities and collect the turtle parts. 6.3 Turtle capturing techniques and instruments The techniques of capturing turtles are traditional. They use net-hook, spear rod, and a net fitted with many hooks called (Teend) to capture turtles. They fit nets in shallow water and check them for turtles, twice a day; early morning and at evening. Groups of community members camp at different sites for few days and capture as many turtles as they can from that particular site. 6.4 Species of freshwater turtles under trade Three species of softshell turtles, Ganges softshell turtle (Aspideretes gangeticus), Peacock softshell turtle (Aspideretes hurum) and Indian narrow headed softshell turtle (Chitra indica) from the rivers of Pakistan are reported to be captured and their parts exported to China, where these are used in the Chinese medicines. 6.5 Start of business in Punjab and Sindh After interviewing locals and the Pakhiwal communities, it was noted that the business of turtle parts started in Punjab and Sindh in 2003 and since then the turtles are being captured and their parts exported to China. 6.6 Dealers involved in turtle trade It was observed that almost all the main dealers belong to Lahore, which is the gateway for export to China. In Pakistan, the business of softshell turtle parts is at its peak in Punjab and Sindh. This business is expanding to other parts of the country and now the dealers are focusing on involving local fishermen in addition to Pakhiwal, who are already involved in killing freshwater turtles. The fishermen community called Mohanas in the local language gave information that a group of dealers came to visit the area and offered them to start the business with them. They were asked to provide those softshell turtles that are caught accidentally (by-catch) in the net during fishing. 6.7 Ecological role of freshwater turtles (softshell turtles) The softshell turtles particularly those in which traders have interest are carnivorous and are scavengers. They help in the purification of river water by consuming the dead animal bodies as food. Fishermen are against the turtle capturing in the fishing areas. They claimed that when people capture the softshell turtles, remove or cut the desired parts, they throw rest of the turtle in the river. Due to decay and foul smell of dead turtles in the river, fish avoid coming to the area and their fish production is affected. 6.8 Root cause of freshwater turtle population decline There could be many reasons to start the business in turtle parts but the root cause is poverty as for as these Pakhiwal along the Indus River are concerned. The groups of fishing community don’t allow these people to go for fishing which was the major source of livelihood for them in the past. Groups of turtle traders contact these people and offer them handsome amount of money in advance to start the business and adopt it as their Freshwater Turtle Survey, 2007 Page 13 of 23
Page 1 and 2: Freshwater Turtles of Pakistan Taun
Page 3: Freshwater Turtles of Pakistan A pr
Page 6 and 7: Acknowledgements This report is a r
Page 8 and 9: Table of Contents 1. Introduction..
Page 10 and 11: Summary Pakistan has eight species
Page 12 and 13: pollution, plus the damming and cha
Page 14 and 15: 2. Literature reviewed Akbar et al
Page 18 and 19: profession. The local people don’
Page 20 and 21: q Population status and trend of fr
Page 22 and 23: 9. Glimpses of visit Figure 2 Pakhi
Page 24 and 25: FRESHWATER TURTLE SURVEY QUESTIONNA
Page 26 and 27: Other Information 1. Local names of

Freshwater Turtles of Pakistan

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